The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-07
In THE FORTIES.
GAMBLING ON THE MISSISSIPPI
IN EARLY DAYS.
An Experience Of Reformed Gard
Sharp "-Cleaning Out a Party :
Of Arkansas Toughs-Es-
Gaping Their Wrath.

luOulSCo III W tuC pdSSCuSCtS, odyS VIZ
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, was card
playing, and to such great extent was
it carried on that the river interests re-
ceived an unenviable reputation through
the press, and the boat-owners were.
obliged to prohibit all games upon their
steamers. In those days it was COM
mon thing to hear of the highest State
and National officials sitting down to
games where large moneyed stakes were
risked, while sharpers and tricksters
made it regular business of travelling
back and forth from port to port, heec-.
ing the unsuspecting. Sporting men
played planters and Others for high stakes,
and in many case as high as ten and
twenty thousand dollars would change
hands in one nights sitting at a game Of
poker.
Gamblers at times almost took posses
sion of steamers, and the captains and
clerks had no way of protecting their
passengers. Every trick known in cards
was played for all it was worth upon the
emigrants and others upon the steamers,
and many an unfortunate deck pas
senger met with watery grave after he
had been fecced out of what means he
was possessed of. In those days money
seemed to be more plentiful than now;
the south prospered, and her planters be-
came rich through successive seasons of
good crops. Money seemed to flow into
their hands, and with true Southern
characteristic hospitality the planters lib
orally spent it, and during those years of
prosperity south the Mississippi River
steamboats, were favored with heavy car
goes and large passenger lists.
There was no better known person
along the river in those days gone by
than Colonel Geo. Dcvol, of Cincinnati,
who is at present writing an account OF
forty years. experience along the Missis-
sippi River. Surrounded by party OF
friends q few days ago, Colonel Devol
related some incidents of his experience.
Among other things he told of some Of
his tricks on the passengers with cards,
in game known as monte. TO use his
own language, the Colonel, throwing his
portly form back in large, easy chair,
and placing his thumbs under his sus-.:
penders at the shoulders, said:
1.-THE good old days for sporting men
on the river are past and gone. Forty
years led gamblers life, making
money fast and spending it freely. But
the last five years of my life have been
tough, tell you. I've quit cards, and
propose now, in my old age to try and
live moral live. But you want to hear
about my book We'll, I'll relate one OF
my personal experiences:
"Coming up on the Sultana one night
there were ABOUT twenty-five Of the
toughest set of men as cabin passengers
I believe ever met. They were on their
way to Napoleon, Ark, which at that
time was great town and known as the
jumping off place. In those days these
Napoleon fellows were looked upon as
cut-throats and robbers, and thought
nothing of numbering a fellow, simply
to make them appear b g men with their
gang. had for Il partner man named
Canada Bill, as game party as ever
strobe the deck of steamboat, and one
of the shrewdest gamblers ever encoun-
tered. Z.
"As soon as supper was over this gang
of Arkansas toughs got in the cabin and
of course wanted to play cards. Bill
had opened up business in the main hall,
and q great crowd had gathered about
him. saw that most of these chaps had
been drinking, and gave Bill the nod,
which he of course understood. He only
PLAYED q short while and left the game
pretending to be broke. Then we fixed
It up that I should do the playing and
he would watch for any trouble. Well,
the result was l got about everything the
twenty-five men had, including their
watches, and beat some seven or eight
other passengers. The men all took it
apparently good natured at the time, but
as the night wore on and they kept
drinking from their private TASKS l made
sneak to my room and changed my
clothes. By the back stairs I slipped
down into the kitchen and sent man
after my partner. l had blackened my
face, and looked like one of the negro
rousters. 1 only had time to warn him,
when terrible rumpus upstairs told me
the iig was up, and with their whisky to
aid them they were searching for me, and
if they caught me it would be good day
to me. paid the cooks to keep mum,
and Bill male himself scarce. They had
their guns out, and were kicking in the
stateroom doors hunting for me. Some
of them came down on deck, and were
walking back and forth by me, cursing
and threatening vengeance. -
''The boat was plowing her way along
up the coast. The stevcdores were shout
ing to the hands, hurrying them along
with the freight for a landing soon to be
reached. The boats whistle blew, and
soon she was heading in for he shore. A
crowd of these fellows were awaiting for
me, as they suspected 1 would try and
get off. They were looking, mind you,
for we'll dressed man. AS soon as the
boat landed about ten of them, guns in
hand, ran out over the stage to shore and
closely scanned the face of every person
that came of. There was a stack OF
plows to be discharged from the boats
cargo, and noting the fact, shouldered
one and with it TO lowed the long line of
hands amid the curses OF the mates, and
fairly flew past these men who were
huntiag me. kept on up the high bank
and over the lcvcc. and when threw my
plow in the pile with the others, made off
for the cotton fields and laid flat on my
back until the boat got again underway,
and the burning pine in the torches on
deck had been cXtimguished.
'.It was close call, l can assure you.
Bill met me at Vicksburg the next day
and brought the Doodle, which we di-
yidcd. He said the crowd took lights